ACCOUNTS DIRECT (CHESTER) LTD
🌳Matureactive
04557163 · ltd · incorporated 2002-10-09
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
81/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Accounting and auditing activities
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with exceptional profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 81/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
10 officers (3 active, 10 linked, 7 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
94 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
81/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 400 | 400 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (36 events)Click to expand
- 2025-11-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-10-07📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2025-10-07📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-10-06➖MCCLELLAND, Ian David resignedsecretary
- 2025-04-05➖MCCLELLAND, Vivienne Jean resigneddirector
- 2024-11-08📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2024-11-08📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2024-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-10-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-17➖MCCLELLAND, Emelia Jean resigneddirector
- 2023-07-17📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-10-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-10-05📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2022-08-25📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-07-30📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-02-09📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2022-02-09📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2021-11-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-01📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2019-12-06📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2017-10-22➕MCCLELLAND, Matilda Jean Hargreaves appointeddirector
- 2016-11-26➕MCCLELLAND, Ian David appointedsecretary
- 2013-10-14➕MCCLELLAND, Emelia Jean appointeddirector
- 2013-03-20➖MCCLELLAND, Emelia Jean resigneddirector
- 2010-10-09➕MCCLELLAND, Cheryl Jean appointeddirector
- 2010-10-09➕MCCLELLAND, Ian David appointeddirector
- 2010-10-09➖MCCLELLAND resignedcorporate-director
- 2010-01-01➖MCCLELLAND, Cheryl Jean resigneddirector
- 2009-10-01➖MCCLELLAND resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2009-04-01➕MCCLELLAND, Vivienne Jean appointeddirector
- 2007-04-01➕MCCLELLAND, Emelia Jean appointeddirector
- 2002-10-09🏢Company incorporatedAs ACCOUNTS DIRECT (CHESTER) LTD
- 2002-10-09➕MCCLELLAND appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2002-10-09➕MCCLELLAND, Cheryl Jean appointeddirector
- 2002-10-09➕MCCLELLAND appointedcorporate-director
Owner dependency
76/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 16 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 61 — approaching natural succession window.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
63/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 61. Early succession window.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 16 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 24 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Ian David Mcclelland Individual · British · DOB 05/1965 · age 61 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence | 06/04/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mrs Cheryl Jean Mcclellandceased 09/02/2022· 25-50% shares
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Professional services · CH postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4SURE RECRUITMENT SOLUTIONS LIMITED→ 15291815 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ABOVE THE CLOUD CONSULTANCY LTD→ 11268087 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| ACCAP CONSULTANCY LTD→ 09518150 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| ACCESS CONSULTANCY SERVICES LIMITED→ 12393004 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ACCESS TO TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY→ 07932623 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| ACCLAIM LEGAL SERVICES LIMITED→ 08669008 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| ACCOUNTANCY SOLUTIONS (NW) LTD→ 16224649 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ACCOUNTANTS FOR MTD LTD→ 17017118 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ACCOUNTING & BOOKKEEPING CONSULTANCY LTD→ 11068331 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| ACCTED LIMITED→ 08594494 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| ACE CAD LAB LIMITED→ 14791108 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ACE EVENTS & DEVELOPMENT LIMITED→ 12660107 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
6 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2002-10-09
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC69201 — Accounting and auditing activities
Registered office
Chesil
Queens Park Road
Chester
Cheshire
CH4 7AD
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-12
Last: 2025-09-28
Officers (3 active · 7 resigned)
MCCLELLAND, Cheryl Jean→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 2010-10-09
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MCCLELLAND, Ian David→
Activedirector · ~61y · appointed 2010-10-09
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MCCLELLAND, Matilda Jean Hargreaves→
Activedirector · ~25y · appointed 2017-10-22
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MCCLELLAND, Ian David→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2016-11-26 · resigned 2025-10-06
MCCLELLAND→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2002-10-09 · resigned 2009-10-01
MCCLELLAND, Cheryl Jean→
Resigneddirector · ~60y · appointed 2002-10-09 · resigned 2010-01-01
MCCLELLAND, Emelia Jean→
Resigneddirector · ~35y · appointed 2013-10-14 · resigned 2023-07-17
MCCLELLAND, Emelia Jean→
Resigneddirector · ~35y · appointed 2007-04-01 · resigned 2013-03-20
MCCLELLAND, Vivienne Jean→
Resigneddirector · ~33y · appointed 2009-04-01 · resigned 2025-04-05
MCCLELLAND→
Resignedcorporate-director · appointed 2002-10-09 · resigned 2010-10-09
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (94 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-11-18
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2025-10-07
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-10-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-29
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-11-08
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-11-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-09-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-10-10
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-02
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-07-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-10-17
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2022-10-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-28
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-08-25